5470 Physics of Sports (2nd Trimester) 2 Credits
The study of matter in motion is the essence of both physics and sports. Sports often involve the complex
control of moving objects and interactions between them--concrete, real world problems where millimeters or
milliseconds often represent the difference between success and failure on the field. This course will visit
specific examples of motion found in sports. The students will learn to make use of tools such as graphical
analysis of videos, qualitative reasoning based on the laws of physics, reasoning by analogy, dimensional
analysis, numerical estimation, computer simulation, and the use of published resources.
Prerequisite: Physics 5420 or 5410
The study of matter in motion is the essence of both physics and sports. Sports often involve the complex
control of moving objects and interactions between them--concrete, real world problems where millimeters or
milliseconds often represent the difference between success and failure on the field. This course will visit
specific examples of motion found in sports. The students will learn to make use of tools such as graphical
analysis of videos, qualitative reasoning based on the laws of physics, reasoning by analogy, dimensional
analysis, numerical estimation, computer simulation, and the use of published resources.
Prerequisite: Physics 5420 or 5410